Raven-Symoné: All Grown Up With a Grown-Up Beauty Routine

Raven-Symoné, the littlest Cosby kid, who went on to Disney stardom with the Emmy-nominated That's So Raven, is 25 now—and 85lbs lighter than she once was. (She credits just having more time to herself when her show wrapped.) Today, she's racing around New York City to promote her latest series, The Great State of Georgia, airing on ABC Family in May. It's about a small town woman who comes to the Big Apple to become a star and meets with some resistance. Her character's not the only one new to New York; it was her driver's first day on the job: "My mom's giving him directions from the back seat—and we haven't lived here since I was five years old!" We asked the young star about the Disney life and her grown-up beauty routine.

__Who is your Disney BFF? I feel like that network is one big sorority.

__You know everyone in your age bracket. Anneliese Louise van der Pol who played Chelsea [on That's So Raven]—that's my bestie from Disney. I think she and I are the oldest.

Do you feel like because you have a younger audience, you edit your fashion choices and not go too sexy?

I edit myself in fashion choices for myself. I've been embarrassed too much. I play it real safe. I'm bringing back the '90s. That's my goal.

What about the '90s do you want to bring back?

Kurt Cobain. I'm in love with comfy but still cute. I think girls have that moment when they go out: "I can't breathe. I can't move." You're not having fun! It's cute, but you're not having fun.

__What beauty products are in your massive purse right now?

__I just cleaned out my purse just this weekend, so the only beauty products are three perfumes—because I always wear three, never one—and a lip gloss.

__Wow, there really is nothing in there! What are your three perfumes?

__I'll give you two, but I can't give you the third one because that's a secret. Songes by Annick Goutal and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique; the other one is one that I found in a super-cheap store but it blends those two together. Nobody will ever smell like me. I do equal sprays [of each], and no puffing; I spray them on me. In the morning, it's Raven's time, and you might suffocate. I saturate myself. I find that I require a bit of a soak to keep the scent all day.

__How long does it take you to get ready on a just-for-you morning?

__No time. I don't wear makeup; I wear my hair curly, no weave. And on a normal work day— three hours. That's camera-ready. Yesterday, I had to be on camera twice, so I woke up at four in the morning.

__Are you an early riser?

__No! But I will be for hair and makeup.

Have you ever fallen asleep in the makeup chair? We've had people do that at cover shoots. [Editor's note: It was Rihanna!]

Never. Because I don't trust the other person. If somebody else is doing it—they haven't done my face for as long as I've been doing my face—so I have to pay attention. I've had the same makeup artist for seven years. I love her and trust her, but I will never fall asleep. A lot of times I'll do [my makeup] myself.

__What beauty skill are you best at?

__My eyebrows. I don't have any; so I change styles every morning. I'm trying to find the right product. Where I paint, I don't have any hair, so it tends to come off during the day because no one has created the perfect stays-on eyebrow color. But my shape is a beast. Bring it on Dita Von Teese.

__Do you tweeze?

__I don't wax. I don't like pain. I Nair. I shave. I do anything that doesn't require pain. Tweezing only for ingrown [hairs].

What brow fillers are you using right now?

I use Lingering by M.A.C. I also use [M.A.C.] Strut. I use a Damone Robert's [pencils]. Hes the "Eyebrow King of Beverly Hills." He does her eyebrows. [Points to Allure's Victoria Beckham cover.] He does Beyoncé. He does everybody.

__What beauty skill are you the worst at?

__I cannot do...[extra-long pause].

__Oh my god. You can do everything. You're like "Actually, I'm pretty excellent."

__[Laughs] I can do my own face! You know what I can't do? I can't do a super-straight '60s black liner. I can do it well enough where you think it looks good, but I can't do it to my own liking.